Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Not every school is about fighting clubs, delinquents or wizards. Some are plain normal schools where students go to learn and then some are schools where animals go to learn how to be human in human form. Welcome to Animal Academy volume 1 from Tokyopop, a unique school isolated from the human world where animals of every variety enroll and learn to be as human as you or me.

Neko Fukuta is not the best student. In fact she’s had quite a bit of trouble getting accepted to any school but the day comes when she’s accepted by Morimori Academy. On the train to school she meets a fellow student and again encounters her in the woods while searching out the school. Things seem a bit odd, but it’s a school and that’s all that matters. Only a few hours into her stay and Neko gets summoned to what is apparently the principal’s office. Her suspicions are confirmed, this is an odd school, in fact it’s one where animals practice transforming into humans and learn skills to survive in the human world. She pleads to stay, even knowing the odd situation and is granted her request, but what exactly is she getting into? Her new roommate, Miiko, whom she met on the train, is a cat and slowly she encounters fox, raccoon and more. Will she be able to maintain her secret of being human while balancing school life? Time will tell.

If you’re looking for back-story or an explanation of why animals school to become human, looks elsewhere. This fun manga by Moyamu Fujino takes a not so perfect student and puts her right into an odd situation where the behavior of animals does not vary much from that of humans nor do the situations. The story is very straightforward as Neko tries to succeed in school, any school. The schoolmates are varied and enjoyable and overall there is nothing offensive about the story, it’s great for young readers. The art is also very easy on the eye, very anime with big ol’ eyes, colorful characters with unique and simple designs, heck even the animal forms are cartoony. It’s a very, very kid friendly manga that some children may relate to as these are not the best students, they are not the most popular with everything easy. Things are a challenge but at the same time fun and light hearted and very easy to follow.

Animal Academy if a quick and easy read for young manga fans. It mixes story that is both relatable and fantastical and brings it all to life with crisply drawn art that is easy on the eyes. A great manga for younger readers, nuff said.